This application relates to the art of strain relief devices and, more particularly, to a bending strain relief for restricting the degree of bend which can be imparted to a flexible member.
The invention is particularly applicable to a bending strain relief device for use with mechanical and electromechanical cable terminations, and will be described with specific reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and can be used in other environments such as with hydraulic or pneumatic hose and the like.
It is known to provide bending strain relief for cable terminations for purposes of limiting the degree of curvature which can be imparted to a cable, conductor or the like at the cable termination. Such strain reliefs are commonly in the form of a tubular member through which the cable termination extends. In most cases, previous bending strain reliefs of this general type perform satisfactorily except that they do not include means for establishing minimum permissible strain radii. That is, they do not restrict the maximum degree of curvature which can be imparted to the cable termination.
It has, therefore, been considered desirable to develop a bending strain relief which would readily accommodate free bending within predetermined limits and would automatically convert to a substantially rigid state when the predetemined limits are reached. The subject invention meets the foregoing needs and others to provide a new and improved small profile bend restrictor which is simple in design, effective in use and adapted to use in a wide variety of environments.